10 Historical Toys

Like the Erector set, Lincoln Logs are used to build objects. David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images

As a young John Lloyd Wright watched the construction of an earthquake-proof structure designed by his father, he was inspired by the building's interlocking beams; while there was no shortage of toy building sets on the market during the early 20th century, there were none that used this type of interlocking design. In 1924, Wright introduced a set of wooden log toys with notches at either end of each log to fasten the pieces together for sturdy construction. He named his toy after President Lincoln and even used a picture of Lincoln on the box to help with advertising. He named his product "Lincoln Logs" after the former president's famous childhood cabin [source: Strong National Museum of Play].

The connection to the beloved former leader combined with the toy construction craze of the early 1900s helped Wright sell countless sets of logs. Made exclusively from wood, this classic toy is still sold today, more than a century after it was first introduced, allowing 21st century kids to craft the same log cabins and wooden forts as their ancestors.